Shock absorber



Feb. 25, 1930. w. VANI GUILIDER ET AL SHOCK ABSORBER ofiginal Filed oct. 1a, 1925 Waff/j Patented Feb. 25, l1930 v jfoNiTE-D TES PATENT oie/Fior".`

. wAL'rER' vAiv GUILDER AND ANnREWcQWooD, oFcIIIcAGo, ILLINoIs, lii'sfsieions 'ro STEWART-WARNER vIRGINIa i f snoei; ABsoiiBER n v iippiieatien mea oeteber is, 192e, serial No. 669,216. Renewed oetober .2 4, 19,24

The purposeof this invention is to provide animproved construction in a shock absorber for road vehicles which teror differently from'devices of this char- 5 actercin'fcomnion use for checking `rebound' and absorbing the shock due to unevenness of the road intravel. It consists'in the ele? ments and features f ofv construction shown and 4described as indicatedin the claims.

Inthe drawings:

- VFigure -1- `is"a detail .side elevation diagrammatic in character 4'showing the two ele-k oments of the vehicle whichare spring-sepa-V rated-as the longitudinal bar of the chassisv and axleequipped with ais'ho'ck absorber embodying this invention,l f

Figure 2is a section axial "with respect toA the `shock absorber casing andjcontents.

Figure `3 is a section at'the line 35-3 on Y Figure 2. 1 f lyFigures 4 and 5 are detail side elevations of opposite segments ofy thev drum showing the interlocking of onehead vwith the [cup member.

'-25 In the construction shownk in the draw# ings, A- represents the chassis or Vtrame of' theve'hicle, C-the'springoperating in the' i ordinaryconstruction of the v vehicle forv spreading apartseparating vertically-#the frame or body of the vehicle and the axle. The-'shock absorber device *comprisesv a 'stud 'journal bolt, 1, mounted iXedly upon the v chassisjframe bar,^A, asli'ndicated in Figure 2. VVUponfthis stud bolt there is mounted ixedly with respectthereto, as to rotation thereabout, acasing comprising ka cup member,2',.1and a coverl member, 4,1fthejsaid casing vbeing heldnon-rotatable with respect-tol the kstud ,orjournal .bolt,f1,jby virtue of a relai",ively thic lr-plate, 3wh`ich v-is yriveted against theouterside of the' bottom of' the ycup niemvb'ei 'l,"2, `of t-he, iasingi;` and engaged with thehexagonalr shoulder, la, of the journal bolt,

l. The .cover member,4,f is engaged with the c iip,` member, 2, against` rotation by cooperation4 bosses on the two membersk indicated at Q55 and4x. Within the casing there is`mouiit' ed 4.r'fot-atably upon V thejou/rnal bolt or stud,

11,'a`drum comprising 'a cup member, 5, vont hich'lthe'bottom webconstitutes one head shall 4beadapted betltachr'nent by any s of the drum, Vand -a closure member, 6, con'- conPoRnfrIoir, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, n coIePoRA'rIo'N for( ystituting the other head of the drum, the two v Y thereis contained a helically coiled spring,

9, the inner end of which is engaged as shown at 9a, with the journal bolt, `1, the outer end vbeing" engaged as shown at "9", with thefperipheralwall of the drumfthe cylindrical angeof the' cup member, 5. Said cup'mein f ber, 5,V of the drum is `'formed with an eX# terror shoulder, 8, eccentric with respect to the journalbolt, said rshoulder'being adapted for windingthereon a ieXible connectorasal wire cable or the'like, 10, said connector being secured to the drum at said 'shoulder asfseen in Figures2 and 3 by having the vend iiiserted through an aperture, 8a, in thesh'oul'- der, 8, and lapped around inside said shoul V der,A a pin, 10a, serving as a'means ofholdi'ng it thus lapped and hooked intothevshoulder.

aperture, 2, throughwhich thevlexib'le 'co The". peripheral wall of the casing basan' i'iector, 10,' emerges from the casing 'fof a Bf, said attachment being conveniently wricade as seenin Figure lwby Ameans of"a1`hook bracket, B1, bolted to the aX'le and engaging an, eye, 10b, secured yto the 'flexible connector ,1

. VVithin the :casing secured tothe inner 8.5,' .tion'f relatively' thereto" yis "an 'annulant-re. tion plate, '12, desi'rablyniadefof'ibre'or I side of' the -cover member, 4, vagainst rota-1 wood 'or' likematerial adaptedlforl?abso'rbj ing orbeingcliarged with lubricantfso to `become self lubricating as 'to v'its Vinner surface' which bears frictionall-yY againstA the* outer surface' of thev cover plate, 6, fof the drum for developing frictionin thevrotation of the'drumbywinding and unwinding of the leXible-'7connector, 10, thereon. c The means forv securing this rictionyplate non-' rotatably with'respect to the lcasingconsists -inv a -boss `or bo'sses`,`4b, k'struck inwardly from`4 the casing cover nieinber,"4',= andenga-ging aperturesv `in the riction" plate,V 12.' or

pressing this friction plate, 12, against the drum for friction as indicated, there is provided outside the casing a star-shaped spring disk member, 13, mounted on the reduced end, la, of the journal bolt, a nut 13a, being screwed onto the threaded end of the journal bolt outside of the spring disk to press the sprink disk against the outer side of the cover member, 4, of the casing to collapse or close up the casing and thereby press the friction plate, 12, against the adjacent Wall of the drum more or less firmly according to the tension given the spring disk by screw` ing up the nut. A locking Washer, 14, is provided between the nut and the spring disk, this Washer having a tooth, 14a, engaging a toothed or notched disk, 15, which is fast on the outer surface of the spring disk, 13. The detail construction of this nut-lock ing device is not a part of the present invention, and is thus briefly described only for interpretation of the drawings in which it is necessarily presented.`

At the opposite side of the drum from that at which the friction plate, 12, is mounted, there is mounted upon the inner side of the bottom of the cup member, 2, of the casing a second friction plate, 16, held non-rotatably to the casing Wall by engagement of `apertures, 16a, in said friction plate with the heads of the rivets, 3a, by Which the plate, 3, is secured to the casing. To afford suitable friction-bearing surface of this friction plate against the adjacent Wall of the drum, there is mounted upon the outer side of said Wall a metal plate, 17, riveted to the bottom of the cup member, 5, of the drum, said plate, 17, having the full diameter of the drum and having at its inner circumference av flange, 17a, for aording additional journal bearing surface in the drum on the journal bolt, 1. Being of the diameter stated, this plate extends beyond the eccentric shoulder, 8, upon Which the flexible connector, 10, is Wound,

' and thereby affords a lateral guard for retaining thefiexible connector on the shoulder as may be understood most clearly from Figure 2. Y

The construction described is mounted and operates as followsr-The casing With its contents being mounted as described upon the vehicle body or chassis asindicated and the hook bracket, B1, being secured to the axle, the flexible connector, lO, is drawn out through the aperture, 2a, of the casing caus`Y ing the rotation of the drum in the direction for tightening the spring, 9; and desirably the connector Will in this process be Withdra-Wnrto a, sufficient extent to rotate the drum approximately to the positionv shown in Figure 3, that is, so that the cable runs off the shoulder, 8, ofthe drum at the most eccentric point thereof, that is, at the end of thelongest'radius. .lhen the drum has been rotated and the springtensionedto this extent, the flexible connector Will be secured to the hook, B1. The tension of the spring, 9, thus operates in opposition to the tension of the vehicle spring, C. When the vehicle is in service on t-he road and exposed to jolts tending' to cause the vehicle body With its load first to descend against the spring action of the vehicle spring, C, and then to recoil or rebound, the first descending movement slacking the flexible connector, 10, permits the spring, 9, to react and to take up the slack; and the recoil or rebound, unvvinding or drawing off the flexible connector from the eccentric shoulder of the drum, tightens the spring, 9, and is therefore resisted by the tension of that spring. It Will lbe observed that in the descent of the vehicle body causing it to approach the axle and slacken the flexible connector, the resultant rotation of the drum under the reaction of its spring, 9, Winds the cable initially with the advantage ofthe longest radius of the eccentric shoulder and with diminishing radius as the vehicle body descends; in consequence, the angular movement of the drum for friction between the drum and the friction plates, 12and 15, is least at the commencement of the descent,

and increases as the vehicle descends farther and farther.A That is to say the frictional resistance to the descent of the vehicle under the jolt of travel increases concurrently With the increase in resistance of the vehicle spring, C, to thedescent. In the recoil or rebound of the vehicle from the lowest point to Which it Y may descend the cable runs off from the drum the Y spring, from the endof a radius less than the in rotating the latter `for tightening longest, the radius increasing to the longest rad-ius of the eccentric as the recoil or rebound continues, up to the normal or rest positionof the vehicle body, and then diminishes as the recoil carries the vehicle body above that normal or rest position. From this it results that the angular movement of the drum with respect to the friction plates is greatest atl the commencement of the recoil and diminishes from that point until the vehicle reaches its normal or rest position and again increases as the vehicle'body passes that normal position and reaches a maximum at some point above the norma-l position at which the recoil is checked by the maximum frictional resistance to the rotation of the drum With respect to the casing; and it Will be observed that While in the recoil they frictional resistance 'is maximum at the beginning and end of themoveinent and mini- .mum at the rest position, the drum spring, 9,

operates With a steadily increasing tensional resistance from the Vbeginning to the end of Qioc ` friction plate substantially constant throughi `12748,'cell! v on increase from the point at which the vehcle passes the normal or rest position'. c

1. In a devicefor the purpose indicated a rotatable member; a fixed journal bearing member adapted for mounting on one of the two spring-separated members of the Vand means for stressing said-plate and the rotatable member against eachother, the

parts being formedy and dimensioned to render the pressure and areay of frictional ycon-v tact between the rotatable member and the out the range of rotative movement; the seat for the flexibleconnector being eccentricjwith kso respect to the fixed journal bearing member, whereby the radius of leverage for rotation against the frictionalv resistance increases in one direction of rotation and diminishes iii the opposite direction while the friction remains constant, the radius of the surface of the'rotatable memberextending in one plane at the side thereof with whichthe friction plate co-operates for friction being in excess of the greatest radius. of the eccentric seat of the flexible connector; whereby the friction plate'does not at any point or in any stage of the rotation, protrude beyondthe circumference of' said surface of the rotating member with which it co-operatesfor friction.'v i 5 Y 2. In a device for the purpose indicated a rotatable member; a fixed journal bearing member adapted for mounting on one of the two spring-separated members of the vehicle'to be served; vthe rotatable member having a seat upon which aflexible connector may be wound in the rotation ofthe said rotatable member; a flexible connector attached at one end to the rotatable member and passingover said seat and extending` therefrom in direction for attachment tothe other of L said spring-separated members of the vehicle; a fixedly mounted friotion'plate and means for stressing said plate andv the vro-V tatable-member against each other, the parts being formed and dimensionedy to render the "pressure and area of frictional .contact bev against tween the rotatable member randthe friction plate substantially,` constant throughout the range of rotative movement; the seat for the flexible connector being eccentricviw'ith re 'spect `to the xed journal bearing member,

whereby the radius of leverage' for rotation the frictional resistance increasesin one direction ofrotation and diminishes in connector.

the vopposite direction while the friction re-V mains constant; a plate applied and secured against the side yjof the'rotatable member at which the eccentric seat for theflexible conf nector is situated, andr a lfriction plate secured lixedly asfaga'inst' rotation for co-oper-` ating for friction with-said applied plate at the side thereof opposite said eccentric seat, saidapplied'pla'te having its radius from the center of thejournalbearing yat least 'asvgreatas the longestra'dius of said eccentric seat; `whereby saidappliedv plate forms a guard atthe outer side of said seat for retaining the flexible connector thereon, and at allA positions "in the rotation of the 'rotatable member vextends beyond the circumferenceV of,v thefixed friction plate with whichit'co-operates. i 3. In a device for the purpose indicated a. rotatable member; a fixed journal bearing member adapted for mounting on one of the two spring-separated membersof'the vehicle y to be served;E therotatable member having a seat 'upon which a'flexible connector may be wound inthe rotation of the said rotatable member; a flexible connector attached at'one -v end tothe rotatable member and passing` over said seat andr extending therefrom in directionk for attachment vvto the other' `of said spring-separated members of the vehicle; a fixedly mounted friction plate and means'for -stressingsaid'plate and the rotatable member againstk each other, the parts being ,formed andl dimensioned to render the pressure andareafo'f frictionalcontact between the rotatable member andthe friction plate substantially lconstant throughout the range iofrot-ative movement; the 'seat for the flexible connector beingeccentric with respect to the fixed journal bearing member, wherebythe radius of leverage for rotation against the i frictional resistance increases in one direction of rotation and diminishes in the opposi'tedirection while the friction remains constant, the rotatable member being in the form of ya drum enclosing the spring, 'the eccentric seat for the flexible connector being on one -head of the drum, a supporting structure fixed with respect tothe journal n bearing member comprising a memberv at the lopposite side of the drum from said head movable axially with'respect to the remainder of the supportingl structure, the friction plate being mounted upon said last mentioned axiallv movable member for cooperating` for that having the eccentric seat for the flexible f 4, In a device for the purpose indicated,

a rotatable member lin the form of a drum;

12o ,A friction with the head of the drum opposite .Y

a fixed journal-bearing member for said drum j adapted for mounting on .one of theV two spring-separated members of the vehicle served lby the device; a spring connected with the journal bearing member land drum for being tensioned by the rotation of the drum in one direction and being rotated in the opposite direction by the reaction of the` spring; a supporting structure fixed With respect to the journal bearing member encompassing the drum and spring, the drum having on one head a seat for Winding thereon a flexible connector; a connector having one end secured to the drum head and extending over said seat and tangentially therefromf-in the direction for attachment of its other end to the other ,of the `tWo springseparated members of the vehicle; said supporting structure comprising a member mounted at the opposite side'ofl saiddrum .trom the head which has the flexible connector seat, axially movable and nonrotatable with resp-ect to said frame structure, a friction plate Carried by said nonrotatable member bearing laterally against the adjacent head of the drum for frictional co-operation therewith, and a' spring reacting between the fixed journal bearing member and said non-rotatable member of the fra-me structure for stressing `said friction Y plate against said drum head; the seat for the flexible connector beingv eccentric With respect to the iixed'journal bearing member, whereby the radius of leverage in favor of the connector for tensioning the spring in unwinding the connector from said seat diminishes from a certain point 1n the unwinding Which increases the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof, We have hereuntoset our hands at Chicago, Illinois, this '13th day of October, 1923. K

WALTER VAN GUILDER. ANDREV C. WOOD. 

